Last homes in Greensboro waiting for power

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- On Tuesday evening, around 1,000 Duke Energy customers in the Triad were still waiting for power. Duke Energy has been working to have everyone’s power back on by 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, five days after the power went out.

“I’m out watching how many lines are up and how many more to go,” Don Whicker said.

Whicker lives on Wanda Street. Since Thursday he’s been wondering when his lights would be back on.

“I thought they were just giving a long estimate but I didn’t think it was actually going to be that long. But when it was Sunday and they called church off Sunday, I knew we were in trouble,” Whicker said.

He and his wife had to throw out $400 worth of food and they have gone without hot meals at home, but the hardest part is seeing street after street light up around them.

“From behind us here, their lights were back on. You could see their back porch lights and such on. I said, 'Oh that makes me sick, why can’t they get us on?'” he said.

Not too far away, people off Rockwood Road are eagerly watching crews.

“I’m glad to see them here and I’m hoping that by the 11:45 time the text is saying, the power will be back on,” Andreas Platt said.

Crews have to get to downed power lines in people’s backyards, which can add another challenge to the task.

“A lot of these areas, they’ve been going in people’s yards, they’ve been tearing fences down and things like that,” Platt said.

Now that the end is in sight, people inside these last few homes already know exactly what they’ll do when they can flip the switch.

“Probably turn on the TV to be honest with you. That and as soon as my wife gets home, go grocery shopping. I’m tired of eating canned stuff,” Whicker said.

A Duke Energy spokesperson said everyone who is able to receive power will have it by the end of the night on Tuesday. Those who have damage to their electric boxes will need to have an electrician come out and fix them before Duke Energy can connect their homes.